Vallejo officials are aiming for Friday to complete mechanical repairs on the Mare Island Causeway Bridge, which has been inoperable for nearly a week.
“We faced a decision to keep the bridge either elevated or lowered,” City Manager Andrew Murray said in a news release on Friday. “Given that the safety of our residents is our top priority, we chose to keep the bridge in the lowered position to ensure our emergency vehicles can pass without delay.”
The 165-foot vehicle, rail and pedestrian bridge, also known as the Wichels Causeway, spans the Napa River and includes a movable section that normally can be raised for boat traffic. It connects Mare Island to the Greater Vallejo area along the north end of the city’s waterfront.
Rebuilt in 2016 to replace its wood timbers with steel, the bridge is scheduled for a $13.8 million maintenance overhaul beginning in spring 2025 to resurface the bridge deck and install ADA-compliant features.
In December, work was performed on the lift span so that it could rise to its maximum height of 90 feet after it had been limited to 74 feet.